Research Beginnings: Picking a Topic and Mentor

Transcription

1 Research Beginnings: Picking a Topic and Mentor Sharon Herring, MD, MPH September 10,2015

2 Choosing Your First Project May generate anxiety How do I pick a research topic? Clinical research or basic research? What methods/techniques do I need to know? What resources are available? Who will mentor me? Will I ever be funded to have protected time to engage in research?

3 Things to remember Research is fun! Why? Scientific inquiry is based on asking questions about phenomena observed in the natural world Humans are naturally inquisitive we come up with questions all the time Key is to capture the most feasible and interesting questions into productive research projects

4 Things to remember Research is fun! Why? Scientific inquiry is based on asking questions about phenomena observed in the natural world Humans are naturally inquisitive we come up with questions all the time Key is to capture the most feasible and interesting questions into productive research projects Research takes time So don t be so hard on yourself as you move slowly

5 Example startup timeline (note the 1 year planning process!!)

6 Things to remember Research is fun! Why? Scientific inquiry is based on asking questions about phenomena observed in the natural world Humans are naturally inquisitive we come up with questions all the time Key is to capture the most feasible and interesting questions into productive research projects Research takes time So don t be so hard on yourself as you move slowly Research is an iterative process

7 Ideal Research Cycle 1) Observe Phenomena; Formulate Questions 4) Manuscript Writing; Disseminate Findings 2) Locate Resources; Collect Data 3) Interpret and Evaluate Data

8 Actual Research Cycle 1) Observe Phenomena; Formulate Questions 4) Manuscript Writing; Disseminate Findings 2) Locate Resources; Collect Data 3) Interpret and Evaluate Data

9 Developing a Research Topic Key elements Interest (to you and to the medical community) Importance (significance of research project) Scope (depth and breadth of a topic) Time (pick something you can successfully address in the time constraints/due dates) Focus (know what you re looking for; refine/adjust as needed) Assignment (follow directions, e.g., guidelines from funders)

10 Refining a Research Topic Key elements Background reading (to give you an overview of the topic; scope) Pubmed, Wikipedia, Textbooks, Lectures Zoom-in/Zoom-out Obesity too broad Obesity in 18 year olds who live in Colorado and smoke - likely too narrow Assess feasibility (primary data collection or secondary data analysis; resources)

11 Refining a Research Topic Ways to narrow your topic Anticipate the results before doing the first study Follows a hypothesis driven approach (based on the scientific method) If the major results aren t interesting, maybe you shouldn t do it Helps you set a plan in motion for future studies Asking/answering who, why, when, what, where, and how

12 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Obesity prevention and treatment Topic of interest Sharon J. Herring, MD, MPH Temple University School of Medicine

13 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Obesity prevention and treatment Who?

14 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Obesity prevention and treatment for women Who?

15 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Obesity prevention and treatment for women Why?

16 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Obesity prevention and treatment for women Why? Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

17 Refining a Research Topic: One Example When? Obesity prevention and treatment for women Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

18 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Intervention in pregnant and postpartum mothers When? Obesity prevention and treatment for women Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

19 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Intervention in pregnant and postpartum mothers NIH funding When? Obesity prevention and treatment for women Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

20 Refining a Research Topic: One Example What will the intervention focus on? Intervention in pregnant and postpartum mothers Obesity prevention and treatment for women Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

21 Prospective observational study to identify intervention targets Refining a Research Topic: One Example What will the intervention focus on? Intervention in pregnant and postpartum mothers Obesity prevention and treatment for women Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

22 Prospective observational study to identify intervention targets DOM funding Refining a Research Topic: One Example What will the intervention focus on? Intervention in pregnant and postpartum mothers Obesity prevention and treatment for women Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

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24 Prospective observational study to identify intervention targets Refining a Research Topic: One Example Intervention in pregnant and postpartum mothers Where will the intervention be delivered? Obesity prevention and treatment for women Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

25 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Prospective observational study to identify intervention targets Cross-sectional survey study about web use and access Intervention in pregnant and postpartum mothers Where will the intervention be delivered? Obesity prevention and treatment for women Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

26 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Prospective observational study to identify intervention targets Cross-sectional survey study about web use and access How? Intervention in pregnant and postpartum mothers Obesity prevention and treatment for women Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

27 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Prospective observational study to identify intervention targets Qualitative study to identify social-contextual factors that may modify an intervention s effect How? Cross-sectional survey study about web use and access Intervention in pregnant and postpartum mothers Obesity prevention and treatment for women Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

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29 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Prospective observational study to identify intervention targets Qualitative study to identify social-contextual factors that may modify an intervention s effect Cross-sectional survey study about web use and access What are my next steps? Intervention in pregnant and postpartum mothers Obesity prevention and treatment for women Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

30 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Prospective observational study to identify intervention targets Qualitative study to identify social-contextual factors that may modify an intervention s effect Cross-sectional survey study about web use and access What are my next steps? Intervention in pregnant and postpartum mothers Obesity prevention in children Obesity prevention and treatment for women Decrease risk of: Diabetes CVD

31 Refining a Research Topic: One Example Intervention in pregnant and postpartum mothers and their children Future NIH funding Obesity prevention and treatment for women and children Who?

32 Who Will Mentor Me? A good mentor, aka: scientific and/or personal advisor, is a critical part of research success Best mentorship relationship is longitudinal, e.g., repeated, one-to-one meetings for constructive feedback, ideas, additional training opportunities Remember, mentoring is a two-way street

33 Essential Mentor Qualities Expertise in topic of interest Pubmed or NIH RePORTER search Wide scope of research experience/methodology Available and accessible Provides opportunities Experience mentoring others (e.g., track record of grants/publications with mentees)

34 How to Find a Mentor Search home institution (section, department) Remember to look at other schools within the home institution pending interests (e.g., public health, psychology) Search pubmed for leading authors in your field Network at research meetings in your field of interest Get an advanced degree/more research training requiring a thesis or final project (e.g., PhD, MPH)

35 How to Find a Mentor Send an introducing yourself and expressing interest Attach updated CV along with a letter detailing your research interests and desire to work together To prepare for the interview, review the potential mentor s publications and be prepared to discuss/reflect on these

36 Essential Mentee Qualities Organized, always come prepared with an agenda and materials to review Self-motivated, sets personal goals and sticks to them Productive, follows through and completes tasks Responsive and available Avoids defensiveness and displays humility

37 Glass Half Full ~ 30% success rate for NIH career development awards (K series) The award rates for first-time research project grant applicants with a prior LRP or K award are much higher than for those without: For MDs: 44.1 vs 9.2 %; for MD/PhDs: 60.0 vs 10.1 %; and for PhDs: 66.3 vs 10.9 % NIH FY16 budget request could fund 1,200 more research grants than in FY15, raising its success rate from 17.2% in FY15 to 19.3% in FY16